Car seal



13.1925. J. A. STODGELL 0. m SEAL Original Filea Jan. 8, 1923 mYEn-i'oR .J. A. sroa a) Ar-nrs Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

JAMES ALEXANDER STUD SELL; OF WINNIPEG,

era, cannna, Assronon. FY

THAI

DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO SAFETY SEAL ()OTldlPAltTY LIMITED.

CAR SEAL.

Application filed January 8. 1923, Serial To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JnMEs ALEXANDER Srononnn, of the city of Winnipeg, in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Seals, of which the tollowing is the specification.

The'invention relates to improvements in car seals and more particularly to those of the class known as auton'iatic seals. These seals usually comprise a strap orshackleof sheet metal and a chambered head or box intended to receive and retain the end of the shackle.

An object of the invention is to provide an automatic seal which will be of simple and inexpensive construction and effective in operation.

A; further object of the invention is to guard against tampering with the seal and to provide a seal with double lock insuring positively against opening.

1-. still further object is to provide a seal constructed from a single piece of sheet metal which can be stamped to the required shape and subsequently bent to form.

A further object is to construct the box of the seal such that it cannot be opened, such being accomplished by spot welding the sides ot'the box after the parts forming the same have been folded.

A further object is to construct a seal having the strap or shackle locked against movement in either direction when once inserted within the box.

ll ith the above more important objects in view the invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter more particularly described and later pointed out in the appended claims reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the seal as it appears when opened up, that is prior to fold ing.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view centrally through the seal as it appears in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view at 3-3 Fig. 1.

Fig. at is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 with one end of the sheet metal stri of which the seal is formed, folded bac to form the cross partition.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4. after a No. Gil i22 Renewed September 2, 1924:.

further bend has been made to form the box and to bring the catches into their final position.

6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5, but showing the tongue carrying end of the strap inserted in the b0 and in locked position.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the box, the top thereof being broken away to expose the locked strap.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the box.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view at 9-9 Fig. 5.

In the drawing like cl'iaracters or reference indicatecorresponding parts in-the-several figures.

The seal is formed from a blankstrip oi": sheet metal stamped and bent to'the proper form and embodying two main partsa strap 1 and a box or chambered headQ. The strap 1 which extends from the box is of predetermined length and has the free end thereof cut in two places, indicated at 3 and 4. to provide spaced substantially rectangular openings in which I locate similar tongues 5 and 6. The tongues are contained in the plane of the strap from which they are formed and it will here be observed that ample clearance spaces 7 and 8 are reserved at the ends of the tongues to permit theni to work freely and also to allow of the entrance at the ends of the tongues of parts later described.

The box is a pressed one and when formed presents upper and lower halves or sections 9' and 1.0 and an intermediate partition or divisional member ll. Prior to being bent into shape. however, the latter parts 9, 10 and 11 appear as best shown in Fig. 2, the two halves of the box being adjacent and the partition forming portion at the end. It will be observed that the sections 9 and 10 are pressed so that when the said sections are brought together by bending at the point 12 they will form an interior cavity or chamber.

In forming the box one first bends the partition portion 11 to bring it from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 4. then he bonds the material at 12 to form the/box as shown in Fig. 5 and here it will be observed that the partition crosses the box. The section 9 of the box is pressed considerably deeper than the section 10 so as to provide room for the locking catches later disclosed and also to provide an entrance opening at 13 into the box for the free end of the strap. Adjoining the entrance opening the metal is indented, as indicated at 14, to prevent the entrance of a picking tool into the box after the strap end has been inserted.

The sides of the formed box are permanently and effectively fastened together by spot welding, such being indicated at 15.

The divisional section or partition 11 is cut in two places to provide substantially rectangular openings, pieces of the metal being reserved at the ends of the openings to provide comparatively long and short catches l6 and 17, said catches inclining in opposite directions and extending upwardly towards the top section 9 of the box.

The seal is locked in the following manner:

' One enters the strap 1 in the opening 13 and then forces it inwardly into the box. As the end of the strap goes in the catches l6 ride over the inserted end of the strap which is stopped by contact with the end of the box, at which time the said catches 16 are in the openings 7 and 8 hereinbefore re ferred to. One then attempts to pull the v strap out of the box and in so doing causes the tongues 5 and 6 to be caught by the catches 16 which act to bend the tongues upwardly so that they slide over the then upper faces of the said catches. The out pulling movement of the inserted end of the strap is continued and the pressure developed between the tongues and catches acts to hold the inserted end of the strap tightly against the top face of the partition, with the further result that in the out pulling movement the short catches 17 are brought to engage, the one with the narrow strip of metal 18, separating the openings 3 and 1, and the other with the end of the inserted end of the strap, in which position the seal is locked and one cannot pull the end of the inserted strap either in or out. The pressure developed between the tongues 5 and 6 and catches 16 retains the inserted end of the strap tightly against the divisional member so that there is absolutely no tendency for it to move up and escape the catches 17.

The only entrance to the box is at the opening 13 which is well guarded by the indents 1 1; but should a' thief get a thin tool into the box he cannot unlock it as he cannot work all catches at the same time as obviously the front catches or those nearest the opening protect those farther away.

The seal is particularly simple in construction and can be cheaply manufactured and it is formed from a single piece of sheet metal.

lVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a car seal in combination, aclosed box having an entry slot in one end thereof and provided interiorly with a stationary divisional member having a lengthwise extending opening therein and a air of upwardly extending oppositely isposed spring catches located at the ends of the opening, and a strap extending from the box and having the enter the box through the slot therein, the said free end of the strap being provided with a spring tongue and having an opening therein adjoining" 7 spring tongue being adapted to spring past the first engaged catch in the inward movement of the free end of the strap within the box and thereafter in the outward pulling movement of the strap to catch beneath the said latter spring catch and enter the opening in the divisional member and the other of said catches being designed to engage with the inserted end of the strap and posi tively prevent any inward shifting of the end of the strap subsequent to the catch and tongue being brought into locking engagement.

2. In a car seal in combination a closed box having an entry slot in one end thereof and provided interiorly with a divisional member carrying a plurality of similar pairs of oppositely disposed upstanding long and short spring catches positioned at the ends of spaced openings formed in the divisional member and a strap extending from the box and having the free end thereof adapted to enter the box through the slot therein, the said free end of the strap being provided with a plurality of spaced spring tongues corresponding in number to the number of pairs of catches and having openings therein adjoining the tongues and the said spring tongues being adapted to spring past the respective catches in the inward movement of the free end of the strap within the box and thereafter in the outward pulling movement of the strap to pass beneath the long catches and enter the openings in the divisional member and the said short catches being designed to engage with the inserted end of the strap and positively prevent any inward shifting of the end of the strap subsequent to the catches and tongues being brought into locking engagement. 7 I c Signed at Winnipeg this 3rd day of November 1922. r

' JAMES ALEXANDER sroDoELL.

In the presence of: V

GERALD S. ROXBURGH W. C. Boocrss.

free end thereof adapted to,

the tongue, the said, a 

